Survey at CMS school shows low morale among teachers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Major issues for local teachers, from the fight for higher pay to teachers leaving the state, came to a head Wednesday night at one Charlotte-Mecklenburg school where a majority of the teachers said they're unhappy.

Many of the problems we've heard teachers are facing start on the state level, but for the first time a survey showed they are facing issues within their own school, even in one of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' top-rated schools -- Irwin Academic Center.
 
"Action speaks louder than words," parent Collette Forrest said in the center's cafeteria to parents, teachers and school administrators. "We've been disgruntled the entire year."
 
The survey showed why teachers are dissatisfied at the school.
 
The majority of teachers at IAC who participated in the survey said teachers do not have enough influence on decision making at the school:
 
Seventy-eight percent also said there is not an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
 
Sixty-nine percent said that school leadership doesn't make a good enough effort to address teacher concerns.
 
Eighty-four percent said the school doesn't take steps to solve problems collaboratively.
 
"The tenor and tone of this school come from its top leadership," said Paul Reali, co-chairman for the school leadership team.   
 
He told Channel 9 the results of the survey were worse than they expected.
 
Results of the North Carolina's Teacher Working Conditions survey will be released in two weeks but the IAC leadership team couldn't wait that long.
 
They conducted their own survey after hearing teacher morale was poor.

"We will work with the principal, the (administrative) team -- bring in teachers, (school leadership team) -- it takes everyone to get a school on a positive trend," said Kit Rea, central learning superintendent at CMS.

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